Friday, June 28, 2013

Lavender Pound Cake Recipe
I know when I think of lavender, I don't really think of food.  I think of dream pillows, beautiful purple flowers, and an oil that can heal burns.  Lavender by itself is pretty good in herbal tea, but have you ever chewed on a flower?  Blech! (I have...)  In this recipe, the pound cake batter mixes with just enough dried lavender to give it a light floral taste.  This recipe is a really good spring/early summer dessert.  It is pretty heavy though, so don't eat too much!

So a few things first.  This is a pound cake, named for having a pound of everything (flour, eggs, sugar, etc.) so it's pretty rich.  The recipe makes two loaves.  You can halve the recipe evenly to make just one, just use two eggs.

Gather your supplies!  You'll need three bowls.  Make sure you get a pretty big one since there will be a lot of batter.  Measuring cups and spoons are needed, as well as an electric mixer and one to two loaf pans.

Ingredients
1 cup butter (margarine works just as well)
2 cups sugar
5 eggs
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 Tbsp dried lavender
1 cup buttermilk (or substitute normal milk with lemon juice or vinegar)
2 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat your oven to 350°F/180°C/Gas Mark 4.  Cream butter and sugar together.  Beat eggs in one at a time.  In a large bowl, combine remaining dry ingredients.  Combine buttermilk and vanilla in a third bowl.  Add both bowls of wet ingredients to the large bowl and mix until you have a smooth batter.
Spray your loaf pans with cooking spray or use parchment paper.  I used the latter because hey... no extra dishes!  Spoon the batter into the pans.  Bake for about an hour or until a toothpick or knife comes out clean. 
Let the cakes cool if you used spray or oil, but if you used paper, you can turn them out onto a plate to cool faster.  This makes about 16 servings.  This cake is sweet enough to stand alone, but you can eat it with frosting, butter or what ever tickles your fancy.  I hope you enjoy it! 
Note: If you don't have buttermilk, you can mix normal milk (we use 2%) with a tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar to equal the amount you need.  Just put the juice in a measuring cup and add milk until you have how much you need and wait about five minutes before you use it.  I've never actually used buttermilk in this recipe, and it's always been really good.


Sunday, June 23, 2013

Full Moon Dreamboard- Full Strawberry Moon


Hi lovlies!  I did do a dreamboard last month, but things have been hectic so I didn't get around to posting it.  Anywho...

This month Jamie asks 'What would I love to delight in this month?'  Well.. fruit is always good, as it is the strawberry moon.  Ooh also a supermoon!  I hope some of you caught it.  I was over at my sister's and missed it T^T.  But I digress.  Those melons are golden honeydew melons.  I had a moment at the produce store we go to.  Those melons were the first thing we saw.  They were such a marvelous lemony yellow color I just loved them.  I wish I had a camera.

One thing this board represents is color.  I did want to include a black and white photo... but it just wasn't to be.  I suppose that is the universe telling me to embrace color, not lack thereof.  I've been kind of droopy lately and trying to climb out of the hole of depression.  This board is a nice way to combat that.  

I also notice an elemental theme in this month's board.  Brighid in the top right represents fire in this example.  The shells are not only of the water, but a lovely blue color.  The top photo is a representation of what I want to strive toward.  Happy, whimsical, and add a little air to my personality.  My Sun and Moon signs are both air types, yet I am not as communicative or carefree as I'd like to be.

The bottom picture are all kind of earthy to me.  I love the spice palette.  Cooking is truly an art form.  I'm so happy how my herbs are growing!  Finally, the middle one is an outdoor tea party.  I NEED to do this soon.  Just set out some blankets in the front yard and break out the tea things.  Maybe make some lavender pound cake and leave some for the fairies.